Vancouver Whitecaps FC

About the Club

Whitecaps FC Academy is the youth system of the professional soccer club Vancouver Whitecaps, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Founded in 2007, it includes both men's and women's teams that compete in the semi-professional League1 British Columbia. The men's program is officially known as the Vancouver Whitecaps FC MLS Academy and is a full-time, fully funded player development program. The women's program, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Academy, is part of the Canada Soccer Pathway and the Women's Regional EXCEL Centre (REX) in Western Canada, maintaining a national curriculum for female players U-13 to U-18. The Academy aims to maximize player potential through a "soccer lifestyle" philosophy that integrates training, education, and accommodation. Players are identified through a network of Academy Centres and scouting, primarily recruiting Canadian citizens or permanent residents residing in Canada from British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and parts of Eastern Canada. The training methodology is based on the Whitecaps FC Game Model and the Whitecaps Way, a national curriculum for player development. The Academy also offers various camps, including Development, Prospects, and Overnight camps, led by certified Whitecaps FC coaches.